Ballard Power Systems has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Van Hool NV, Europe’s fourth largest bus manufacturer, in support of the manufacture and further deployment of fuel cell buses. The MOU also provides for the establishment of a dedicated service and parts center at Van Hool facilities in Belgium, to support all buses powered by Ballard fuel cells in Europe. MORE

The Volvo C30 Electric will be manufactured and delivered to leasing customers throughout Europe, including in Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway. The Volvo Car Corporation has begun production of the C30 Electric ( earlier post ); initial deliveries to leasing customers, mainly companies, authorities and governmental bodies, will take place immediately after the summer. Volvo says it will build about 250 cars by the end of 2012, possibly more if market interest takes off. MORE

Mercedes-Benz is presenting a design study at “Trailer 2011” show in Belgium for an aerodynamic trailer that shows a reduction in wind resistance by up to 18%, with an accompanying decrease in fuel consumption by almost 5%. Mercedes-Benz’ new Aero Trailer design. Click to enlarge. MORE

The housing that permits the battery’s integration in the ZOE, as well as the model’s front and rear suspension systems, were all conceived by Groupe Renault’s Chassis and Electric Vehicle Engineering Division and are manufactured at Renault’s Le Mans plant. MORE

The first S90 premium sedans, built at Volvo’s Daqing plant in China, will arrive at a distribution centre in Zeebrugge, Belgium this week. The cars have been transported to Belgium via the recently opened, China-Europe railway link. MORE

The vehicle is manufactured and delivered to leasing customers throughout Europe, including Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands and Norway. Production is now under way for the Volvo C30 Electric, with initial deliveries taking place this summer and heading to leasing customers, including companies, authorities and governmental bodies. There have already been tests on a fleet of around [.]. Electric cars Green cars Latest news Volvo lease customers Volvo C30 electric Volvo electric car MORE

Solaris—one of the leading bus manufacturers in Europe—has secured an order for more than 200 hybrid buses from Société Régionale Wallonne du Transport, the primary bus operator in Wallonia, Belgium. For Solaris, this order is its biggest success in Belgium. MORE

On 1 June, two members of Honda’s European Research & Development (R&D) team will set out on the journey from Aalst, Belgium. Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren, based at Honda’s European manufacturing facility in Swindon, UK, volunteered to take up the challenge and will be charged with driving an average 370 miles (595 km) each day. MORE

It will advise the Management Board on matters of business ethics and integrity, as well as on central issues facing the automotive industry in the future, such as the transformation from car manufacturer to mobility services provider, on the radical technological change from internal combustion engine to electric mobility and on the question of finding a balance between profitability, good jobs and environmental protection. Sustainability Vehicle ManufacturersMORE

Musk said that Model S gross margin may continue to make slight improvements over the next several quarters as Tesla continues to drive down manufacturing costs. By the end of 2014, Tesla expects that the entire population of the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Denmark and Luxembourg and about 90% of the population in England, Wales and Sweden will live within 320 km (199 miles) of a Supercharger station. MORE

Hydrogenics has manufacturing sites in Germany, Belgium and Canada and service centers in Russia, China, India, Europe, the US and Canada. Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. has delivered its first fuel cell vehicle in Ontario, Canada to Joseph Cargnelli, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder at Mississauga-based Hydrogenics Corporation. MORE

ESPACE will be co-located with Van Hool’s Lier, Belgiummanufacturing facility, encompassing 120 square meters of space and storing up to 200 parts on-site, including fuel cell modules, batteries as well as electric driveline and hydrogen storage components. Locating ESPACE in Lier, Belgium will enable this process, thanks to the rapid exchange and assessment of collected data, all within similar time zones. Ballard Power Systems and partner Van Hool N.V., MORE

Deutsche Post DHL has signed a letter of intent for a possible future global framework agreement with car manufacturer Renault. is an electrified vehicle that is used to transport DHL Express shipments at the moment in France as well as in Aruba, Belgium, Denmark and Germany. As part of its global efforts, Deutsche Post DHL works with all major car manufacturers worldwide. MORE

Major cathode material producer Pulead (China) and phosphate leader Prayon (Belgium) have entered into an agreement to form a joint venture for the manufacture and sale of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) under licence from LiFePO 4 +C Licensing LLC. In 2012, Prayon obtained a worldwide sublicense under a portfolio of key patents for the manufacture, sale and use of LMP, including LFP. MORE

These initiatives originally brought together the key stakeholders in the hydrogen sector (vehicle manufacturers, hydrogen refueling station providers and Government representatives), to study and to develop strategies to make hydrogen-fueled transport a reality in the respective regions. MORE

—David Raistrick, automotive partner and head of manufacturing at Deloitte UK. Our research shows that there are specific design targets that manufacturers must reach in order to entice car buyers. It is clear that this innovation is a priority for car manufacturers. Manufacturers face many challenges, both in terms of actual design elements, as well as changing the mindset of consumers toward electric vehicles. MORE

This contribution to strengthening the LNG and CNG distribution infrastructures in Europe will rely on ENGIE’s active involvement with stakeholders—the truck manufacturers as well as the national and European authorities—committing to move to alternative fuels. ENGIE is also engaged in the promotion of LNG as a marine fuel, with a bunkering vessel designed in partnership with NYK and Mitsubishi Corporation to be operational by end of 2016 in Zeebrugge, Belgium. MORE

This covers a gap in the fuel cell market, the company notes, as fuel cell stacks up to 20 kW are available from some manufacturers, but in the range 10-30 kW, there is more or less nothing available on the open market. Triphase, Belgium. E-Trucks Europe, Belgium. MORE

The agreement, which establishes Telefonica as Tesla’s largest European connectivity partner, is supported by KPN in the Netherlands and Belgium as part of the M2M World Alliance, simplifying Tesla’s deployment of connected cars. The number of vehicles with built-in connectivity will increase from 10% of the overall market today to 90% by 2020, according to the Telefonica Connected Car Industry 2013 report, which features contributions from eight of the world’s largest car manufacturers. MORE

Scania will leave from Södertalje, south of Stockholm, driving through Sweden, Denmark and Germany to Maasvlakte II in the Port of Rotterdam, making a stop in Zolder, Belgium and in Zwolle, Netherlands. MORE

The order will include installation sites in Charleroi, Belgium, providing 15 ABB charging stations in total by 2018, to power 101 Volvo electric hybrid buses in the Wallonia public transport system, operated by TEC Group. ABB’s fast chargers are compliant with the open Interface OppCharge, which means that buses from other manufactures can also be charged. ABB has received an order for a further 12 bus charging systems from Volvo Buses to power the largest single network. MORE

Belgium-based Prayon Group has obtained a worldwide. sublicense under a portfolio of key patents for the manufacture, sale and use of lithium metal phosphate (LMP), including lithium iron phosphate (LFP). Prayon built a pilot plant for the manufacture of lithium iron phosphate based on a high-speed, low-cost continuous process. A new production facility will be operated in Belgium (at its main production site in Engis) in summer 2012. MORE

Addressing manufacturing overcapacity stemming from the more than 20% drop in total industry vehicle demand across Western Europe since 2007, Ford this week has outlined a series of cost efficiency actions including the planned closure of three European facilities: its Genk Plant (Belgium); a vehicle assembly plant in Southampton (UK), which builds the current Transit; and stamping and tooling operations in Dagenham (UK). Europe Market Background Vehicle ManufacturersMORE

The new Pike Pulse Grid for EVSE manufacturers. The 14 electric vehicle charging equipment manufacturers in this Pike Pulse report all offer Level 2 units to residential and commercial customers, with many also offering Level 1 equipment and DC charging. MORE

The site in Belgium will thus become a key plant for electric mobility at the Volkswagen Group. Electric (Battery) ManufacturingAs of 2018, Audi Brussels will produce exclusively the commercial version of Audi’s e-tron quattro battery-electric SUV ( earlier post ). MORE

Umicore will build an industrial scale recycling facility for end-of-life rechargeable batteries in Hoboken, Belgium. Umicore already counts a number of the world’s leading electronics and automotive manufacturers among its key suppliers of recyclable materials. The investment will enable Umicore to deal with the expected growth in the availability of end-of-life Lithium-ion, Lithium-Polymer and Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries. MORE

Energy storage company Leclanché SA and Škoda Electric, a manufacturer of electric drives and traction motors for trolley and electric buses, have signed a Joint Development Agreement and Framework Purchase Contract through which Leclanché will provide Škoda Electric with battery solutions for its electric bus expansion strategy. In 2015 Leclanché unveiled its first all-electric bus in Belgium. MORE

We have partnered with customers in the premium automotive segment from our Duffel, Belgium facility for years to develop and produce some of the most technically advanced lightweight aluminum solutions available today. Using the same alloy for various applications facilitates recycling in a manufacturing environment and increases the value of the scrap with respect to process and end-of life, from which, without further segregation, new aluminum sheets can be casted and rolled. MORE

Leeds researchers led by Professor Oliver Carsten from the Institute for Transport Studies will work with transport research centers across Europe, as well as several leading vehicle manufacturers, to design and test the devices, which could be on the market within 5 years. The team hopes that the concepts will then be taken up by vehicle manufacturers and brought to market. MORE

Volvo’s electric hybrids and ABB’s fast-charging systems are based on a common interface known as OppCharge, whereby the charging stations can also be used by electrified buses from other vehicle manufacturers. MORE

The new center of excellence is located at Bombardier’s engineering and manufacturing site in Mannheim, Germany, which will also have an advanced testing and development facility opening in September 2011. Having successfully demonstrated the BOMBARDIER PRIMOVE technology with a Bombardier low floor tram in Augsburg, Germany, Bombardier is now further trialing the technology with a bus on a 125-meter stretch of road in Lommel, Belgium. MORE

Belgium-based chemical group Solvay has opened two rare earth recycling units in France. Once the rare earths have been separated, they are then reformulated into luminescent precursors that will be reused in the manufacture of new lamps. In order to diversify its sources of supply and preserve resources, Solvay has developed a process for recovering rare earths contained in end-of-life equipment such as low-energy light bulbs, batteries or magnets. MORE

The Fast-E project, co-financed by the European Union and nine companies, has officially launched , with the objective of installing 241 fast-charging charging stations in Germany and 37 in Belgium. The 278 charging points set up every 80 km along Germany and Belgium’s main motorways, will allow drivers of electric vehicles to “refuel” and extend their car’s range. MORE

—Gerald Killmann, Vice President R&D at Toyota’s R&D center in Belgium. The new 1.6 D-4D for the Verso. Click to enlarge. Toyota first introduced the Verso in 2002, and in 2013, launched the current Verso MPV, developed exclusively for the European market. MORE

Major cathode material producer Pulead (China) and phosphate leader Prayon (Belgium) have entered into an agreement to form a joint venture for the manufacture and sale of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) under licence from LiFePO 4 +C Licensing LLC. In 2012, Prayon obtained a worldwide sublicense under a portfolio of key patents for the manufacture, sale and use of LMP, including LFP.

Solaris—one of the leading bus manufacturers in Europe—has secured an order for more than 200 hybrid buses from Société Régionale Wallonne du Transport, the primary bus operator in Wallonia, Belgium. For Solaris, this order is its biggest success in Belgium.

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Volvo’s electric hybrids and ABB’s fast-charging systems are based on a common interface known as OppCharge, whereby the charging stations can also be used by electrified buses from other vehicle manufacturers.

The Fast-E project, co-financed by the European Union and nine companies, has officially launched , with the objective of installing 241 fast-charging charging stations in Germany and 37 in Belgium. The 278 charging points set up every 80 km along Germany and Belgium’s main motorways, will allow drivers of electric vehicles to “refuel” and extend their car’s range.

The first S90 premium sedans, built at Volvo’s Daqing plant in China, will arrive at a distribution centre in Zeebrugge, Belgium this week. The cars have been transported to Belgium via the recently opened, China-Europe railway link.

Hydrogenics has manufacturing sites in Germany, Belgium and Canada and service centers in Russia, China, India, Europe, the US and Canada. Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. has delivered its first fuel cell vehicle in Ontario, Canada to Joseph Cargnelli, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder at Mississauga-based Hydrogenics Corporation.

Umicore will build an industrial scale recycling facility for end-of-life rechargeable batteries in Hoboken, Belgium. Umicore already counts a number of the world’s leading electronics and automotive manufacturers among its key suppliers of recyclable materials. The investment will enable Umicore to deal with the expected growth in the availability of end-of-life Lithium-ion, Lithium-Polymer and Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries.

These initiatives originally brought together the key stakeholders in the hydrogen sector (vehicle manufacturers, hydrogen refueling station providers and Government representatives), to study and to develop strategies to make hydrogen-fueled transport a reality in the respective regions.

This covers a gap in the fuel cell market, the company notes, as fuel cell stacks up to 20 kW are available from some manufacturers, but in the range 10-30 kW, there is more or less nothing available on the open market. Triphase, Belgium. E-Trucks Europe, Belgium.

Scania will leave from Södertalje, south of Stockholm, driving through Sweden, Denmark and Germany to Maasvlakte II in the Port of Rotterdam, making a stop in Zolder, Belgium and in Zwolle, Netherlands.

The vehicle is manufactured and delivered to leasing customers throughout Europe, including Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands and Norway. Production is now under way for the Volvo C30 Electric, with initial deliveries taking place this summer and heading to leasing customers, including companies, authorities and governmental bodies. There have already been tests on a fleet of around [.]. Electric cars Green cars Latest news Volvo lease customers Volvo C30 electric Volvo electric car

Belgium-based Prayon Group has obtained a worldwide. sublicense under a portfolio of key patents for the manufacture, sale and use of lithium metal phosphate (LMP), including lithium iron phosphate (LFP). Prayon built a pilot plant for the manufacture of lithium iron phosphate based on a high-speed, low-cost continuous process. A new production facility will be operated in Belgium (at its main production site in Engis) in summer 2012.

On 1 June, two members of Honda’s European Research & Development (R&D) team will set out on the journey from Aalst, Belgium. Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren, based at Honda’s European manufacturing facility in Swindon, UK, volunteered to take up the challenge and will be charged with driving an average 370 miles (595 km) each day.

Hydrogenics has manufacturing sites in Germany, Belgium and Canada and service centers in Russia, China, India, Europe, the US and Canada. Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. has delivered its first fuel cell vehicle in Ontario, Canada to Joseph Cargnelli, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder at Mississauga-based Hydrogenics Corporation.

Umicore will build an industrial scale recycling facility for end-of-life rechargeable batteries in Hoboken, Belgium. Umicore already counts a number of the world’s leading electronics and automotive manufacturers among its key suppliers of recyclable materials. The investment will enable Umicore to deal with the expected growth in the availability of end-of-life Lithium-ion, Lithium-Polymer and Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries.

Belgium-based chemical group Solvay has opened two rare earth recycling units in France. Once the rare earths have been separated, they are then reformulated into luminescent precursors that will be reused in the manufacture of new lamps. In order to diversify its sources of supply and preserve resources, Solvay has developed a process for recovering rare earths contained in end-of-life equipment such as low-energy light bulbs, batteries or magnets.

Addressing manufacturing overcapacity stemming from the more than 20% drop in total industry vehicle demand across Western Europe since 2007, Ford this week has outlined a series of cost efficiency actions including the planned closure of three European facilities: its Genk Plant (Belgium); a vehicle assembly plant in Southampton (UK), which builds the current Transit; and stamping and tooling operations in Dagenham (UK). Europe Market Background Vehicle Manufacturers

Ballard Power Systems has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Van Hool NV, Europe’s fourth largest bus manufacturer, in support of the manufacture and further deployment of fuel cell buses. The MOU also provides for the establishment of a dedicated service and parts center at Van Hool facilities in Belgium, to support all buses powered by Ballard fuel cells in Europe.

—David Raistrick, automotive partner and head of manufacturing at Deloitte UK. Our research shows that there are specific design targets that manufacturers must reach in order to entice car buyers. It is clear that this innovation is a priority for car manufacturers. Manufacturers face many challenges, both in terms of actual design elements, as well as changing the mindset of consumers toward electric vehicles.

The Volvo C30 Electric will be manufactured and delivered to leasing customers throughout Europe, including in Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway. The Volvo Car Corporation has begun production of the C30 Electric ( earlier post ); initial deliveries to leasing customers, mainly companies, authorities and governmental bodies, will take place immediately after the summer. Volvo says it will build about 250 cars by the end of 2012, possibly more if market interest takes off.

The site in Belgium will thus become a key plant for electric mobility at the Volkswagen Group. Electric (Battery) ManufacturingAs of 2018, Audi Brussels will produce exclusively the commercial version of Audi’s e-tron quattro battery-electric SUV ( earlier post ).

The new Pike Pulse Grid for EVSE manufacturers. The 14 electric vehicle charging equipment manufacturers in this Pike Pulse report all offer Level 2 units to residential and commercial customers, with many also offering Level 1 equipment and DC charging.

The order will include installation sites in Charleroi, Belgium, providing 15 ABB charging stations in total by 2018, to power 101 Volvo electric hybrid buses in the Wallonia public transport system, operated by TEC Group. ABB’s fast chargers are compliant with the open Interface OppCharge, which means that buses from other manufactures can also be charged. ABB has received an order for a further 12 bus charging systems from Volvo Buses to power the largest single network.

The agreement, which establishes Telefonica as Tesla’s largest European connectivity partner, is supported by KPN in the Netherlands and Belgium as part of the M2M World Alliance, simplifying Tesla’s deployment of connected cars. The number of vehicles with built-in connectivity will increase from 10% of the overall market today to 90% by 2020, according to the Telefonica Connected Car Industry 2013 report, which features contributions from eight of the world’s largest car manufacturers.

Deutsche Post DHL has signed a letter of intent for a possible future global framework agreement with car manufacturer Renault. is an electrified vehicle that is used to transport DHL Express shipments at the moment in France as well as in Aruba, Belgium, Denmark and Germany. As part of its global efforts, Deutsche Post DHL works with all major car manufacturers worldwide.

It will advise the Management Board on matters of business ethics and integrity, as well as on central issues facing the automotive industry in the future, such as the transformation from car manufacturer to mobility services provider, on the radical technological change from internal combustion engine to electric mobility and on the question of finding a balance between profitability, good jobs and environmental protection. Sustainability Vehicle Manufacturers

Musk said that Model S gross margin may continue to make slight improvements over the next several quarters as Tesla continues to drive down manufacturing costs. By the end of 2014, Tesla expects that the entire population of the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Denmark and Luxembourg and about 90% of the population in England, Wales and Sweden will live within 320 km (199 miles) of a Supercharger station.

This contribution to strengthening the LNG and CNG distribution infrastructures in Europe will rely on ENGIE’s active involvement with stakeholders—the truck manufacturers as well as the national and European authorities—committing to move to alternative fuels. ENGIE is also engaged in the promotion of LNG as a marine fuel, with a bunkering vessel designed in partnership with NYK and Mitsubishi Corporation to be operational by end of 2016 in Zeebrugge, Belgium.

Leeds researchers led by Professor Oliver Carsten from the Institute for Transport Studies will work with transport research centers across Europe, as well as several leading vehicle manufacturers, to design and test the devices, which could be on the market within 5 years. The team hopes that the concepts will then be taken up by vehicle manufacturers and brought to market.

We have partnered with customers in the premium automotive segment from our Duffel, Belgium facility for years to develop and produce some of the most technically advanced lightweight aluminum solutions available today. Using the same alloy for various applications facilitates recycling in a manufacturing environment and increases the value of the scrap with respect to process and end-of life, from which, without further segregation, new aluminum sheets can be casted and rolled.

Mercedes-Benz is presenting a design study at “Trailer 2011” show in Belgium for an aerodynamic trailer that shows a reduction in wind resistance by up to 18%, with an accompanying decrease in fuel consumption by almost 5%. Mercedes-Benz’ new Aero Trailer design. Click to enlarge.

The housing that permits the battery’s integration in the ZOE, as well as the model’s front and rear suspension systems, were all conceived by Groupe Renault’s Chassis and Electric Vehicle Engineering Division and are manufactured at Renault’s Le Mans plant.

The new center of excellence is located at Bombardier’s engineering and manufacturing site in Mannheim, Germany, which will also have an advanced testing and development facility opening in September 2011. Having successfully demonstrated the BOMBARDIER PRIMOVE technology with a Bombardier low floor tram in Augsburg, Germany, Bombardier is now further trialing the technology with a bus on a 125-meter stretch of road in Lommel, Belgium.

ESPACE will be co-located with Van Hool’s Lier, Belgiummanufacturing facility, encompassing 120 square meters of space and storing up to 200 parts on-site, including fuel cell modules, batteries as well as electric driveline and hydrogen storage components. Locating ESPACE in Lier, Belgium will enable this process, thanks to the rapid exchange and assessment of collected data, all within similar time zones. Ballard Power Systems and partner Van Hool N.V.,

—Gerald Killmann, Vice President R&D at Toyota’s R&D center in Belgium. The new 1.6 D-4D for the Verso. Click to enlarge. Toyota first introduced the Verso in 2002, and in 2013, launched the current Verso MPV, developed exclusively for the European market.

Energy storage company Leclanché SA and Škoda Electric, a manufacturer of electric drives and traction motors for trolley and electric buses, have signed a Joint Development Agreement and Framework Purchase Contract through which Leclanché will provide Škoda Electric with battery solutions for its electric bus expansion strategy. In 2015 Leclanché unveiled its first all-electric bus in Belgium.